It has been a relentless barrage of news and views on the West Asia war. There is anxiety, outrage and opinion everywhere. The geopolitical scenario is still unfolding, and these are early days if one believes this is going to be a protracted war.
Besides the obvious uncertainty, frustration about cancelled flights and conversations plus conjecture about where this is headed, there is one message the violence, bloodshed and destruction drives home.
No matter which side you are on, dialogue is always better than war, skirmishes, or fights.
We, as ordinary citizens, may be specks in the larger scale of things. We may be unable to in a significant way, as individuals influence decisions of this scale.
What we can do is choose peace in our own small way, in our small universe. Choose peace, not road rage. Dial back that anger on the road. As a vehicle driver, stick to rules and discipline.
As a pedestrian, choose safety over speed as in rushing to cross the road. Remember to look out for not just the vehicles but wrong side bikers and poor state of pavements. Choose talk and discussion in every aspect of life — like building matters. Today, it is shameful that managing committee meetings have ‘bouncers’. So it is with clubs, where elections have become extremely fierce and can spill over to threats and even violence during the contest.
This is miles removed from the big picture — a war that is fragmenting our world and over which we seem to have no control. What we can do is choose peace in what we can control and our immediate environment.